286 The Book of Woodcraft 



and the squirrels kept it cleaned up from day to day, and 

 thus the ground was always ready for a fresh start. But 

 the best of all is the hoof mark for the shoe. These iron 

 hoof marks are fast to a pair of shoes, and leave a trail 

 much hke a real deer. This has several advantages. It 

 gives the hunter a chance to tell where the trail doubled, 

 and which way the deer was going. It is more reaHstic, and 

 a boy who can follow this skilfully can follow a living deer. 

 In actual practice it is found well to use a little corn with 

 this on the hard places, a plan quite consistent with reahsm, 

 as every hunter will recall. 



It is strictly forbidden to any hunter to stand in front of 

 the firing line; all must be back of the Une on which the 

 shooter stands. 



There is no limit to the situations and curious combina- 

 tions in this hunt. The deer may be left standing or l}dng. 

 There is no law why it should not be hidden behind a solid 

 tree trunk. The game develops as one follows it. After 

 it has been played for some time with the iron hoof mark as 

 above, the boys grow so skilful on the trail that we can dis- 

 pense with even the corn. The iron mark Hke a deer hoof 

 leaves a very reahstic "slot" or track, which the more skil- 

 ful boys readily follow through the woods. A hunt is usually 

 for three, five, or more deer, according to agreement, and 

 the result is reckoned by points on the whole chase. 



THE BEAR HUNT 



This is played by half a dozen or more boys. Each has a 



club about the size and shape of a baseball club, but made of 



5trivw Cic/h 



straw tied around two or three switches and tightly sewn up 

 in burlap. 



